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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Rolf Harris has one indecent assault conviction overturned | Rolf Harris has one indecent assault conviction overturned |
| (2 months later) | |
| Appeal court judges rule that one of former entertainer’s 12 convictions was unsafe, but will not seek retrial | |
| Press Association | |
| Thu 16 Nov 2017 11.05 GMT | |
| Last modified on Thu 16 Nov 2017 23.44 GMT | |
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| The disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris has had one of 12 indecent assault convictions overturned by the court of appeal. | The disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris has had one of 12 indecent assault convictions overturned by the court of appeal. |
| Three judges ruled that the conviction was unsafe. But they rejected applications by Harris, 87, from Bray, Berkshire, to challenge 11 other indecent assault convictions. | Three judges ruled that the conviction was unsafe. But they rejected applications by Harris, 87, from Bray, Berkshire, to challenge 11 other indecent assault convictions. |
| Lord Justice Treacy, Mrs Justice McGowan and the Recorder of Preston, Judge Mark Brown, announced their decision on Thursday in London. | Lord Justice Treacy, Mrs Justice McGowan and the Recorder of Preston, Judge Mark Brown, announced their decision on Thursday in London. |
| The artist and musician was convicted of 12 indecent assaults at London’s Southwark crown court in June 2014. His victims included an eight-year-old who was seeking an autograph, two girls in their early teens and a friend of his daughter who endured abuse over 16 years. | The artist and musician was convicted of 12 indecent assaults at London’s Southwark crown court in June 2014. His victims included an eight-year-old who was seeking an autograph, two girls in their early teens and a friend of his daughter who endured abuse over 16 years. |
| Harris was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of the assaults, which took place between 1968 and 1986. The Australian-born television presenter has since been released from that sentence. | Harris was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of the assaults, which took place between 1968 and 1986. The Australian-born television presenter has since been released from that sentence. |
| He was not in court for Thursday’s ruling. | He was not in court for Thursday’s ruling. |
| The prosecution did not seek a retrial on the single count and the judges agreed that a further trial would not be in the public interest. | The prosecution did not seek a retrial on the single count and the judges agreed that a further trial would not be in the public interest. |
| The quashed conviction related to an allegation that Harris indecently assaulted an eight-year-old girl in 1969 when she attended an event at a leisure centre in Portsmouth. | The quashed conviction related to an allegation that Harris indecently assaulted an eight-year-old girl in 1969 when she attended an event at a leisure centre in Portsmouth. |
| But the judges refused Harris permission to appeal against the rest of the 2014 convictions. | But the judges refused Harris permission to appeal against the rest of the 2014 convictions. |
| They ruled that “stepping back and looking at the totality of the evidence” on those remaining counts “we find nothing that causes us to doubt the safety of those convictions”. | They ruled that “stepping back and looking at the totality of the evidence” on those remaining counts “we find nothing that causes us to doubt the safety of those convictions”. |
| Stephen Vullo QC, for Harris, had presented four grounds of appeal at a recent hearing, which Harris attended. | Stephen Vullo QC, for Harris, had presented four grounds of appeal at a recent hearing, which Harris attended. |
| One ground was that there was “fresh” evidence which supported Harris’s case, and complaint was also made about a direction given to the jury by the trial judge relating to the credibility of complainants. | One ground was that there was “fresh” evidence which supported Harris’s case, and complaint was also made about a direction given to the jury by the trial judge relating to the credibility of complainants. |
| In May this year Harris was formally cleared of unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied. | In May this year Harris was formally cleared of unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied. |
| He was formally cleared of four counts of indecent assault against girls as young as 13 after a retrial ended with a hung jury. | He was formally cleared of four counts of indecent assault against girls as young as 13 after a retrial ended with a hung jury. |
| Rolf Harris | |
| Court of appeal | |
| UK criminal justice | |
| news | |
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